Stock-pen



(No Model.)

' J. L. PAXTON.

STOCK PEN.

No. 587,325.' Patented Aug. 3,1897.-

m: uonms Purim cu, Pnovcxui'nu. WASHINGTON, n. c.

JAMES L. PAXTON, OF SOUTH OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

STOCK-PEN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 587,325, dated August3, 1897.

Application filed January 30, 1896. Serial No. 577,470. (No model.)-

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMEs L. PAXTON, residing at South Omaha, in thecounty of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain usefulImprovements in Stock-Pens; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specification.

This invention has relation to a new and novel improvement instock-pens.

The object of my invention is to provide a stock-pen which shall embraceareservoir or stationary chamber in which a certain amount of feed forthe stock can be temporarily stored.

It should be mentioned here that my invention is more particularlyadapted to be used in stock-yards. In all large stock-yards where thehogs are received temporarily pending a sale and reshipment stock-pensare provided adapted to temporarily shelter and receive the stock. Allstock received after a certain time is placed in these stock-pens, andat a certain time in the morning all the stock must be fed, so as to bein shape for the first buyers in the morning. In large yards wherethousands of head of stock have to be fed it is of the greatestimportance that they all be fed within a certain limit of time, as itwould be impracticable to employ a great force of men so as to feed allthe stock within a certain limit of time, as there would be no furtheremployment for these men. I provide my improved stock-pen with atemporary shelterchamber, as will be described more fully hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows an end view of an ordinarystock-pen, while Fig. 2 shows a broken, partly sectional, transverseview of a stock-pen provided with my improvement.

It is well known that temporary stock-pens as used in large stock-yardsare sheds not Very much higher than is required for stock and in whichmen could move around freely, which pens are usually subdivided. Thesewith a feed-reservoir comprising a bottom 0,

adapted to incline upwardly and which is secured a suitable distanceabove the ground within the pen, so as not to interfere with the stock.Extendingat an angle from this bottom O, I next provide a solid deck ortop D, which is secured to the front A of the pen, so that the reservoiris preferably in the shape of a compartment having the side of the penfor abase. It is of course understood, however, that the shape of mystorage-chamber cuts no figure, excepting possibly the slanting bottom0, which is put in so that the grain will readily empty. Thesestoragechambers can be placed either at one or both ends of thestock-pen. Leading into this storage-chamber is an opening which iscovered by the door F, which for sake of convenience is provided with anoperating-strand 5.

In working my invention it is intended that the hands during the daytimewhen work is slack fill up their wagons with grain or feed and drive tothe end of these stock-pens and fill these reservoirs or chambers withthe grain, which are provided with suitable sides E, the filling beingdone through the openings closed by the drop F. In the morning, however,when the time for feeding the stock is limited, the hands are supposedto start from the bins with a full load and distribute this load andthen drive to the end of the pen, when it is simply necessary to removethe hook 2, which works into a suitable eye 6, when the door G will bepermitted to fall downwardly, which door extends the full length of thereservoir, so that the chamber can be instantly emptied, this door Gbeing approximately the length of the wagon. The grain is then deliveredby the men as they go along beside the pen, and when the end is reacheda second load can be taken aboard.

To enable the operator, who usually approaches the pens in a wagon, tomore readily open the trap, I provide the projecting sill g, to whichthe hoop 2 is secured, and which sill is adapted to hold the door Gr,provided below with the end strip 4, to which are secured the hinges 33, so that this door when upset forms a chute extending outward asuitable distance, as is shown in Fig. 2.

In large stock-yards where my invention has been used it is found ofgreat utility in that it saves time and enables the stock being fedwithin a certain limit of time.

I am well aware that it is not new, broadly, to combine a trough andrack, as is shown in 5 Patent No. 237,435, issued February 8, 1891;

but

What I do claim as new, and desire to secure by United States LettersPatent, is-

The combination in a stock-pen of a feed- 10 reservoir, said reservoircomprising the inclined bottom, 0, the sides, E, E, and the top, D, thedumpingate, G, extending the full Width of the reservoir, near the loweredge thereof, said gate acting as a closure so that said reservoir maybe filled, said gate dumping outward so that said reservoir may be instantly emptied, and the hinged door, F, so that said reservoir may befilled.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES L. PAXTON. \Vitnesses:

ELMER G. STARR, GERTRUDE P. BoLsER.

